Expiration
by BluePotterFan24
Summary: After a normal battle with the M-geeks, nothing seems to out of the ordinary. Same descruction, same cuts and bruises. But when Gazzy decides to blow up the rest of the M geeks with a new bomb, they get a little surprise in the form of a tattoo.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE!**

**M Geeks against bird kids **

**Chapter 1**

100 against 7.

It was almost too easy. As much as I hate to admit it, having Dylan there did make it easier. There were still the usual injuries: bloody noses, cuts, bruises, ripped clothes, etc. But overall, with Angel controlling them with her mind, Gazzy and Iggy using more bombs than they could ever possibly fit in that backpack, and everyone else engaged in a fist fight, it was a massacre.

"Max!" nudge yelled from across the field; "That was so awesome!". Gazzy ran up to me and pointing to what was now little more than hunks of metal littering the ground and asked:

"Can I blow them all up? I have a really cool bomb we want to try out." I said yes cause hey, what's cuter than an 8 year old boy blowing up metal? He took something that looked like it weighed 50 lbs out of the backpack.

Gazzy lit the fuse, ran it over to the pile he had made, then turned around to fly back. He wasn't far before it exploded and sent him soaring through the air, and in not the way we usually do it either.

"Gazzy! We were all screaming as we ran toward him where he had landed. His shirt had been blown to pieces, and his arms and back were covered with nasty cuts and burns.

Then we stopped dead. I gave Fang a pleading look, but he just shook his head. images of my brother, Ari, dying right before my eyes flashed through my head as I looked at the expiration date clearly tattooed on the back of the Gasman's neck.

**A/N So, there's the first chapter. Please review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE!**

Thanks for helping me out ValentineRose28!

**Chapter 2.**

"What is it? Tell me, I can't see!" Iggy asked. None of us had spoken for minutes, and Gazzy was still knocked out on the ground.

"It's a date. On the back of Gazzy's neck," I said grimly, "Like Ari's."

Nudge turned to Dylan and explained, because I couldn't. "We all have programmed expiration date. It shows up on the back of our necks a few weeks before we are supposed to "expire", which is really just a nice way of saying die." I turned away. "Ari, an eraser that we found out was really Max's half brother, had an expiration date and he expired right in front of Max. We keep checking each other's necks for dates", she glanced around at the rest of the flock, and "I guess it's been awhile."

Dylan just frowned and nodded, but he didn't say anything.

Angel didn't have to read our minds to know what we were thinking. "Check now", she whispered. Everyone else's necks were clear.

The Gasman started to wake up. When he looked at all our faces he smiled and laughed he said "Hey guys! That was so cool! What did the explosion look like?" We hadn't stopped staring at him. "Hey guys? What's the matter? I'm fine I just kind of bumped my head."

I was just barely able to speak, but how are you supposed to tell a little boy you had looked after your whole life that he might die in a few weeks? "Gazzy, you aren't fine. There is an expiration date on the back of your neck". I fought tears, he just looked so scared. We had fought together, split up, and reunited again, and now we might lose a flock member. NO! I made up my mind right there that I wouldn't let that happen.

I couldn't tell if Angel had had the same thought I did, or if she just read my mind. "Max! There has got to be a way to stop it! I mean, if they can program it into us, they can program it out right?" Tears were streaming from her face. After all this was her brother we were talking about.

"I don't know sweetie, but we have to try and help him, no matter what." I said that firmly, to make it clear that we weren't going to give up on him.

Then from behind me: Fang. For once in my life I had forgotten about him. "I'll bet I know who could tell us how to stop it."

We all realized it at the same moment. "Jeb."

I walked up to the Gasman to get a closer look. "The date says March 9th. That's a little over 3 weeks from now."

"Am…..am I going to expire, Max?" Even Fang had lost his frozen look and now had painful expression on his face.

"No Gazzy, we are going to ask Jeb how to stop it, and we are going to do whatever it takes. Everything is gonna be okay." Actually I wasn't sure. Have you ever noticed how grown ups say it will be okay, no matter what the situation is? Well here is my moment. All of a sudden Nudge asked, "Hey? Where's Dylan?"

That got my attention. Everyone looked around the clearing and up at the sky. Dylan was gone.

**A/N I'm baaacckk! But just for a week! I will try to update as much as possible but after that I won't be able to until we can fix the computer! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE!**

**Chapter 3**

**Max's POV**

I couldn't help notice the smirk on Fang's face as he realized Dylan had left the flock.

"So much for my perfect other half", I thought. I mean' first the kid said he was made for me, and now he's abandoning the flock. Way to win me over.

I looked at Angel. "Did you get anything from his mind about where he was going?" She shook her head. "Not a thing. He was totally blank".

"Maybe he took off to find Jeb for us", Gazzy said. Poor kid. He just found out he could expire in a few weeks, and now someone left the flock. Can we ever catch a break?

Fang spoke up. "Well we don't need to worry about Dylan right now", (he was just all too happy that we didn't have to), "It's the Gasman we have to focus on. Max, call your _dad_ and find out where he is."

I gritted my teeth. I hated thinking of Jeb as my dad. Some father he had been. But lately Fang had been saying it more often just to tick me off, and I couldn't let him know it had worked. I just took out my phone and called my "dad".

I had to call him 3 times before he picked up. "Hello?"

"Jeb, where are you?"

"Hi Max! I'm here in Colorado with your mom. Why? Is something wrong? How's the flock?"

"We have a bit of a situation, two actually," I said, glancing at Fang, "We need to talk to you."

"Why, Max? What's wr-"

"We will be there in a couple hours. And if you hear from Dylan, let me know."

"But Max, Why? Where's Dyl-"

"Gotta Go Jeb" *click*

I turned to the rest of the flock. "Alright, he's in Colorado at the house. Let's go."

**Jeb's POV**

"What a strange phone call," Jeb thought, as he sat staring out the window. "I wonder what that was about." Suddenly, he saw a figure soaring through the sky. "It's Dylan! But where is the rest of the flock?" he wondered. He remembered what Max had said and leaned out the window and shouted "Dylan! Dylan! Come back! Where are you going?"

Dylan's head turned around as he was flying and looked right at Jeb with a frightened look on his face. Then he turned back and kept flying. "I've got to call Max and see what that was about."

**Fang's POV**

I watched as Max picked up a call on our way to Colorado. All that could be heard of the conversation was "Yep. Really? Uh huh. Thanks, bye." She said nothing about the call, so I flew up beside her.

"What was that all about?" I said, making my eyes bore deep into hers. She tried to look away but I held her gaze.

"Jeb spotted Dylan." My face fell. On the inside though, because I don't show my emotions, remember? "Is he coming back?"

"No." This time she did look away. "Jeb said he leaned out the window and called to him but he just kept flying."

That made me feel better. Ever since that creep came into our lives, I had barely had any alone time with Max. "Where did he go?"

"West of Colorado. Now come on, we're here."

**Max's POV**

I was the first one through the window, and the first one to get to Jeb. "I'm going to ask you this once, and I want an answer. This is life or death, Jeb. Is there anyway at all to stop an expiration date from working?"

"Hey! What's going on Max? What's up with Dylan, who has the date? What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong," I growled at him, "What's wrong is that you and all those other psychotic scientists that created us programmed an expiration date into our bodies, and Gazzy's just showed up!"

"Wha…What are you talking about?" he asked.

I got close and dangerously quiet, with the whole flock backing me up. "What I'm saying, _dad,_ is that an expiration date showed up on the back of the Gasman's neck, and we need to know if there is anyway to stop it."

He looked at us for a long time before he spoke again. "Max, I was told that there is a way to stop it, but as far as I know only one person knows how."

I got even closer. "You have ten seconds to tell me who, before I strangle the life out of you."

He looked shocked as he realized what was happening as he replied; "Dylan."

**A/N*gasp* but Dylan's gone! What happens now? Hmmmm…. Please Review!**


	4. AN1

A/N: sorry I haven't updated! I've been busy with a lot of other stuff and this is all I can do write now. Sorry! I'll try and post soon.


	5. AN2

A/N: hey readers i am sooooooooooooo sorry that i didn't update! my computer broke and we just got it fixed. i will be updating soon!


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**A/N: I'm baaaack! again I'm sorry i was gone so long. please don't stop reading though! I'm also going to start a new story soon, dedicated to ValentineRose28 who gave me the idea of something she said 4 months ago. Thanks, and please review! Now, on with the story!**

"Perfect half my a-" Jeb cut me off with a look.

"But, if Dylan knew that I needed it, why did he fly away?" Gazzy wanted to know.

"Because Dylan didn't actually care about us", Fang said, " he was only here to spy." And of course, who was he looking at? Me, with that annoying "i told you so" look of his.

"I can't think, I'm going to my room for awhile." Actually, the truth was I was thinking too much. "What do we do about Gazzy, how do we reach Dylan, and when we do, how do we get him to fix this, and as always, FANG.

What did this mean for us now? We couldn't be together very much while looking for Dylan and taking care of Gazzy. I couldn't even face him, he was so right about who else should walk through the door but Fang.

"What do you want?" I growled, "An I told you so? Well here, you were right. Happy Now?" I shouldnt have been so sarcastic, after all he did warn us about him. But hey, if you're gonna be pissed, go the whole nine yards.

"No I'm not happy." he said, searching me with those deep, black eyes. "Not until I do this." And with that he leaned forward, and kissed me. Now that's bad timing for ya. He pinned my wrists so that i couldn't fight him, (when did he get stronger than me?), so I just sat there and waited until it was over.

"Well?" I asked once he finally let me go. "Happy Now?"

"Yes," he replied with a smirk. He got up to leave, then stopped at the doorway. "One more thing Max."

"What?" I replied with absolutely no emotion.

He waited for a few seconds, then with that stupid smirk pasted on his face " I told you so," and left.

I tried to throw a shoe at him but he had already closed the door. "He really picks bad timing to make a move," I muttered.

I left the room, and everyone but Fang was looking at me. "You're the leader Max, say something" i thought.

I looked over at Jeb. "Don't you think if you knew that Dylan had the ability to stop the whole expiration thing, it would have been something we would have liked to know? You know, when you were trying to get us to let him into the flock?"

Well, at least everyone was looking at him now. "I had always thought he was with you Max. Not against you. I would have said something. If you can catch him though, you should be able to get him to help you." He looked right at me. "He was serious about being programmed to care about you, and he would do anything to keep you from getting hurt.

"He's right, Max." It had sounded like Iggy, but when i looked over at him, he was turned the other way, talking to Gazzy. I looked over everyone else, but nobody was looking at me.

"It's not any of them Max. You will be able to find Dylan. You just have to think carefully about where he would go"

Again, it came from no one in the room. "No, no, no," I thought. I couldn't worry about this now, with everything else. Maybe if I didn't pay attention it would go away.

"You can't make me go away, Max. I'm always with you."

Oh crap, I couldn't deal with this right now. The voice was back.


End file.
